Generally a .500 team as their hitting kept pace with their poor pitching… The Brewers got a hot run in May, winning 14 of 17 to make a run to the top of the division, but gradually fell back to .500 by mid August and a bit below it in September. They lost Rickie Weeks to a wrist injury in May, but found ways to work around it. J.J. Hardy’s bat got lost in the summer, but the Brewers had a way around that in Alcides Escobar. The Brewers battered opposing pitchers with above average performers in at least six spots in the lineup on a daily basis.

What they couldn’t get around was their pitching – four starters with ERAs between 5.22 and 6.38. They tried Mike Burns (a prospect four years ago) and his ERA (5.75) fit right in there. Carlos Villanueva had a few spot starts and his ERA was 5.34, too. The bullpen was tolerable – Trevor Hoffman was remarkably solid and Todd Coffey did a great job, but the rest were rather middling.

Defensively, the Brewers had two holes – first base and right field. That both were REALLY poor suggests that there might be a statistical bias, however Milwaukee had only one lefty starter and he worked just 140 innings. Granted – the righties on the staff don’t blow you away with fastballs either. The Brewers third basemen, as a group, were above average – but not MORE above average than Prince Fielder was below average. And the Brewers left fielder, Ryan Braun, was merely league average while Corey Hart was well below average. As a team, the Brewers turned fewer balls in play into outs than the average NL team and the middle infielders didn’t help out by turning two often enough either.

2010 Goals:

As I read it, the Brewers need to shore up the starting rotation, see if Alcides Escobar is the real deal, and hope that Corey Hart is more mobile in 2010 than he was last year. If Prince Fielder could lose 20 pounds, it might help, too. I’d worry about the long term viability of Trevor Hoffman as a closer – but he was so good last year it’s hard to think that this is the year he falls off the map. However, Hoffman is 42 now and the end could come at any time.

Pitchers:

In 2009, the Brewers had one pretty good starter in Yovani Gallardo, who went 13 – 12 with a 3.73 ERA. By my count, he was about ten and half runs better than the average starter in his 185.2 innings. That makes him a solid #2 guy in any rotation. And so ends the good news. Braden Looper cost the team 33 runs (14 – 7, 5.22 ERA), Jeff Suppan cost them 31 more, David Bush 32 in just 114.1 innings, and Manny Parra cost the Brewers 44 runs in his 140 innings. The four guys (other than Gallardo) were 140 runs worse than the average pitcher – and that has to be fixed.

In the off season, the Brewers added Randy Wolf from LA – he had his best season in 2009, but has been around league average (up and down) since 2006. He doesn’t have to blow the league away, but if he could give the Brewers 200 innings of league average pitching, he’d immediately save the team 50 runs. Another signing was Doug Davis – a former Brewer – who has been an above average starter for the last three years. Again – 180 innings at league average would be worth 35 runs in savings. If Claudio Vargas can return to the rotation, or if Manny Parra can stop walking guys and getting in unnecessary trouble, there are two other chances (a little less dependable chances) that the team could save 30 more runs.

The bullpen may need help. I like moving Bush to the bullpen. If Vargas stays in the pen, that would help. Trevor Hoffman is getting old, and Todd Coffey exceeded expectations. I see this group actually taking a step back in 2010 – maybe 20 runs worse than last year.

Catchers:

Out is Jason Kendall, who last year was a tolerable catcher though a bit easy to run on, and a miserable offensive player. In his place for 2010 is Gregg Zaun, who is nearing 40, George Kotteras, and rookie Angel Colome, who battered pitching at Huntsville in 2008 and was decent, though not great, at Nashville last year. Baseball America named Colome as the Brewers’ #5 prospect last year. At best this is a wash.

Infield:

This is a pretty good group. Prince Fielder is an offensive machine and a defensive liability. The net, though, is one of the better players in baseball. Around the horn, Weeks, Escobar, and Casey McGehee were solid and all will contribute with the bat some. If Escobar lives up to the hype (and he was solid in 2009’s call up), he might add a few runs offensively and remove a few defensively compared to J.J. Hardy. At worst, he’s a wash. Waiting in the wings is #2 prospect Mat Gamel, who was drafted five years ago and if he’s going to make a splash, better get on the diving board soon. Gamel plays third or first – but with Fielder there, would likely push McGehee for his job.

Outfield:

Ryan Braun remains a triple crown threat, and Corey Hart needs to bounce back. Hart’s season was marred by injuries which may have contributed to his range falling off the map. He’s got some power, but his batting average has fallen each year since breaking out in 2007. Mike Cameron, still a productive outfielder and rangy centerfielder, is gone having landed in Boston. In his place is former Twins and Mets prospect Carlos Gomez. Gomez can run down flies like Cameron, but has yet to prove himself as an offensive producer. If Gomez shows improvement and Hart bounces back, this won’t necessarily be an improvement but it won’t be a loss either. My gut tells me that Gomez won’t ever produce like Cameron did last year, and that the Crew will be looking for a new centerfielder in 2011.

Bench:

Remains strong – Jody Gerut is a dependable fourth or fifth outfielder. Hernan Iribarren and Craig Counsell are still here and producing. Prospect Lorenzo Cain will get a look in the outfield. Heck, if the Brewers get really stuck, they could play Weeks in the outfield if necessary. Zaun and Kotteras will be good backup catchers.

Prospects:

I like Chris Cody, a pitcher in Huntsville last year, who showed some promise and was promoted to AAA Nashville mid-season. He’s not ready, but he might have a shot in 2011. Mike Burns was the best AAA pitcher last year, but didn’t look overly impressive in 2009 with the Brewers and he’s not a prospect… Chris Smith (2 – 0, 17 saves, 1.27 ERA) could be the closer in waiting. He fanned 49 and walked just 6, in 42.2 innings. Brett Lawrie moved up quickly to AA after showing power, discipline, a little speed – and just turned 20. In a couple of years, check back on the progress of Amaury Rivas and Evan Anundsen, who pitched well for Brevard County (A+) in the Florida State League. Rivas, at 23, has been working his way up slowly through the minors. Anundsen was drafted out of high school in 2006 and looks to be turning the corner. Another interesting guy is Eric Farris, a BURNER out of Loyola Marymount, who is a bit of a slap hitter, but stole 70 bases in 76 tries at Brevard County. His teammate Caleb Gindl is a decent outfielder with some power and speed and is making his mark. We’ll see him in 2012 or 2013.

Outlook:

On the whole, I think the Brewers will contend for the NL Central. I’m guessing they score about 760 runs or thereabouts, but more importantly, cut the runs allowed number to a more respectable 700. That would work out to 88 wins – and a potential playoff berth. If the bullpen holds solid and three starting rotation positions show real improvement (and not just two), it could easily be 90 wins or more.

Houston inked reliever Brandon Lyon to a three year, $15 million deal. Lyon isn’t bad – he’s dependable, but is he really better than Grant Balfour? $3 million better for the next three years? (See his deal below.) [SI]

Jason Kendall – who looked like he aged four years at the plate last year – signed a two year deal with the Royals. (See John Buck, below.) By the way – Miguel Olivo might not return. The Royals confuse me. [SI]

Jason Bay may not return to Boston – the hold up appears to be the duration of the contract. Bay wants five years; Boston is offering four. [ESPN]

Mike Lowell’s injured thumb is stalling an agreement between Texas and Boston. Boston would (a) get catcher Max Ramirez – a good prospect and (b) pretty much pay for Lowell to play in Texas where he would play first, DH, and backup Michael Young at third base. [ESPN]

One of the more famous names in baseball history, Bill Buckner, turns 60. Billy Buck was a hustler – played through injuries, used to complain about every called strike or close play at first base. He was unfortunately humbled by that error in the 1986 World Series and his career degenerated quickly after that – though he was showing signs of age at the time. He had a lot of hits – 2715 of them – and used to be fast. Something tells me that he’s probably mellowed a lot over the last 20 years… I’d love to buy him lunch. Happy Birthday, Billy.

Happy anniversary, Apollo 11. I was in Wisconsin on a family vacation at a summer home my Aunt Pat and Uncle John owned when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. It’s one of my two earliest memories. I also remember some goofy song about it – I had a 45 RPM (remember those) that would play this 1920s sounding swing tune “There’s an American Flag on the moon tonight, flying red and blue and white… There’s an American flag, waving on the moon, waving on the moon tonight.”

Enough of that.

Cris Carter said on Mike and Mike this morning that if you signed with the New York Mets, you’d be injured in a week. Well, for Fernando Nieve, it was more like six weeks, but it holds true. Nieve left the game in the second when he strained a quad (it looked more like an ankle or achilles injury when I watched it happen) running out a grounder. [MLB]

With Edgar Gonzalez still hospitalized following a beaning, the San Diego Padres traded reliever Cla Meredith to Baltimore for infielder Oscar Salazar. Meredith has been, at times, a very competent middle reliever – but be wary of him leaving San Diego for a park that helps hitters like Baltimore. Oscar Salazar is a long-time minor leaguer – now with his seventh organization (not counting a trip to the Mexican League) – but has hit well in a few trips with Baltimore. He’s probably not an awful short term option. Gonzalez still has headaches and ringing in his ears, dizziness, and partial hearing loss. [SI/ESPN]

Another option would have been signing Mark Grudzielanek, but Minnesota did that instead. [MLB/Transaction List]

The Texas Rangesrs will operate without outfielder Nelson Cruz, who broke a finger diving into first base on a pickoff play and now is day to day. Cruz says he can pinch hit, based on pain tolerance for the day. [ESPN]

Milwaukee is trying to hang close in the NL Central, and wanted some infield help with Rickie Weeks gone. So, the Brew Crew traded two prospects to Arizona to pick up second baseman Felipe Lopez. Lopez has a little speed (he once stole 44 bases), and is willing to work the count a little in his favor. In Arizona, he was hitting .301 with a .365 OBP – however, his career averages are nothing like that and I wouldn’t expect that heading to Milwaukee. It’s not to say he can’t have a great two months or so, but that I would expect him to hit more like .260 with a .340 OBP; still better than Craig Counsell at this stage, but not an impact player. [SI]

What did Arizona get? Cole Gillespie is a minor league outfielder with a little power and plate discipline and a little speed – but happens to be struggling a little bit with AAA Nashville. Drafted out of Oregon State, he projects to a fourth or fifth outfielder right now. Roque Mercedes might be the nugget, though – a young Dominican who has gotten better every year and started to look like a prospect last year with West Virginia in the SAL. This year at Brevard County in the Florida State League, he’s had moments of domination – so a few years from now, he could help Arizona. Ryan Roberts, a poor man’s Felipe Lopez, will likely get the second base job.

Hurry Back! Scott Olsen is the reason Kensing returns to the Nationals. Olsen heads to the DL with shoulder soreness. Houston sent J.R. Towles back to AAA Round Rock, while Florida sent Andy Gonzalez to AAA New Orleans.

Is it Over? Julian Taverez was designated for assignment by Washington. After 11 teams and more than 800 games as a reliever (and once a Boston starter), this could be the last rodeo for the 36 year old.

Carlos Delgado is out ten weeks to surgery on his impinged hip – the new injury of the new decade. The Mets can cope as they have a few outfield options and could choose to give one a shot at first base. Fernando Tatis for now. Still – this could be troublesome, costing the team about two to three games in the standings if they can’t find a comparable replacement.

Rickie Weeks went down to a wrist injury, leaving the Brewers with difficult choices in their lineup. He’s having surgery to repair a torn sheath – similar to David Ortiz a while back – and may affect his really quick bat. Weeks is a great fielder and a decent enough hitter who was really putting it together. For now, the Brewers look to platooning and may call up an infielder from the minors. Craig Counsell is probably the best fielder, but Casey McGehee can play some. This is probably worth five wins over the next four plus months in terms of lost productivity.

Eric Chavez’s back is REALLY bad – he said a degenerative disk is so bad that the next pop in his back will require fusing disks and end his career. One day after announcing that, Chavez has reversed that to some degree, saying that he hopes that strengthening and stretching will help, but he’s really just trying to avoid another surgery. Jack Cust has been playing third. As many other writers have reminded Oakland fans, they signed this guy to a six year deal for a LOT of money ($66 Million) and then missed more than two seasons worth of games…

Noah Lowry had problems with numbness in his hand and underwent surgery to fix issues in his forearm. That didn’t work, and now doctors are calling it a misdiagnosis of a circulatory problem and will be removing one of Lowry’s ribs – costing him this season, too. Once a prospect, Lowry’s career is on the brink as well. Others to have had this surgery? Kenny Rogers and Jeremy Bonderman.

David Ortiz took a series off and will play today hoping to get his first homer of the season. Wow. That’s a sentence, huh?

Jason Kendall got his 2000th hit against the Cardinals. MLB.com, in reporting the story, says that his teammates celebrated by putting the honor on the labels of specially marked Bud Light bottles. BUD LIGHT? Not Miller Lite??? Either the reporting is wrong, or somebody should tell whoever put this together that the Brewers play in Milwaukee.

Todd Helton looked like he got his 2000th hit last night, but it was ruled an error. Some are suggesting that the official scorer may reverse that decision (it was a SHOT past a ducking Yunel Escobar). I hope they saved the ball.

Nate Robertson’s back feels better, but he’s not ready to pitch in a rehab start.

Speaking of Tigers, Magglio Ordonez is the second player given time off to attend to a personal matter (Minnesota’s Delmon Young is caring for his extremely ill mom), so Detroit is calling up prospect Wilkin Ramirez. Ramirez is a free swinger who can run some – but there are some odd things in his record. He gets caught stealing more than you would like, and he strikes out as frequently as you get advertisements for credit cards in your mailbox – at least once or twice every day. Ramirez was hitting well in Toledo, though, and earned the shot.

Pat Burrell is on the DL with a neck strain.

Glen Perkins is on the DL with inflammation in his left elbow, as is Oakland’s Dan Giese – though with Giese it’s his right elbow and tied to his ulnar nerve. C’mon, say it with me. He’s got some nerve!

Need saves? David Aardsma is the new closer for Seattle. Until recently, Aardsma’s biggest claim to fame was moving ahead of Henry Aaron for the first spot in your baseball encyclopedia thanks to alphabetical superiority.

The Mets’ Alex Cora injured his thumb sliding into second base and now is on the DL. Cora was playing because Jose Reyes has swelling in his calf (see Jose Valverde) and has called himself “day-to-day” for six days now. (What player on my team isn’t day to day???)

Speaking of day-to-day, Cincy’s Joey Votto has had dizzy spells following a bout with the flu and didn’t make the trip home because he couldn’t fly with the team, so he’s being watched in San Diego.